Codona 3

This is one of my favorite records. Incredible ensemble (trio). And if I may, a totally radical album cover. It looks like waves, or a bedsheet of brick and mortar, with Codona 3 printed in a very angular font. Very cowabunga, if I do say so myself. And it's ECM? This is a unique cover for a record company that tends to rehash the same idea for all of their album covers. (It seems like Don Cherry wouldn't settle for a typical ECM cover. All of the Codona covers are unique, and the Old/New Dreams Playing is unique as well).

This trio of Don Cherry, Collin Walcott, and Nana Vasconcelos make great music together. The three of the musicians are credited with 12 instruments (Nana is credited with percussion, so who knows exactly how many different instruments are all on this record). Three guys jamming out on unusual musical instruments. These compositions are very structured; "Clicky Clacky" sounds like an old man singing the blues about a train. Sounds almost like a Robert Johnson song, but it is complete with brushes on snare (sounding very locomotive) and train whistles.

"Inner Organs" is an intense wall of sound. Very dark and foreboding. Starts off with long sustained organ tones and Don Cherry's trumpet. Eventually the tabla (or maybe "percussion") bring in a driving momentum. This seems like music that could be used in a climactic cinematic scene (I'm thinking The Godfather or Apocalypse Now... Very Brando?) Cherry's entrance typically startles me, even when I know it's coming.

I can't recommend this album highly enough. It's just good music. It's not jazz. It's great music.

Ornette Coleman (Twofer) - Science Fiction and Skies of America

Excellent Ornette Coleman albums. I would love to write some more, but I gotta pack up and head out to my brother's place in Sheboygan. Going to watch the Packer game tomorrow!

Got this record at Bullseye... looks like the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music got rid of a lot of their jaz z records...

Ornette Coleman - The Unprecedented Music of Ornette Coleman

This is a record I bought in Madison, WI. I remember that I checked my phone to do a little research on the album before I bought it (which I usually try to avoid). This is a somewhat rare bootleg (at least it is unofficial) It has "Lonely Woman" on it, which may be one of Ornette's most famous songs. The record is interesting because Ornette is the only lead solo voice on this recording (a live concert). The other musicians are Charlie Haden, David Izenzon, and Ed Blackwell. I wonder what it was like for Charlie and David to play together. Most of the time, one of the bassists plays arco, while the other is pizzicato. One plays low, the other plays high. I know that Charlie Haden has talked about listening to Scotty LaFaro play with Ornette, and Charlie would want to hear what he would play, which would be different. So I wonder if this posed a challenge for Charlie? This is recommended if you are an Ornette fan! In the style of old jazz record covers: This is recommended if you are an Ornette Fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ornette Coleman - Love Call

This is a great record of late 60's Ornette Coleman with Dewey Redman, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones. I have a few records in my collection that I describe as "Hey Ornette, I'm borrowing your band for a little bit;" This record seems to be more Ornette taking on John Coltrane's rhythm section sans McCoy Tyner. With Coltrane having recently passed, the group doesn't sound like they are trying to do anything Coltranesque. I don't know that Coleman ever did anything that would be Coltranesque...

This is a record that I bought as a modern reissue. I usually don't like to buy new old records, just because they are usually much cheaper if you can buy them used. I think this one was under $10, which is usually my goal when I am buying records.

This record has Ornette playing trumpet occasionally. He is surprisingly graceful with the trumpet; I can't quite say that with his violin playing.

I would like to get New York is Now, which was recorded with the same band at the same recording session.

I wonder who is on the cover of this album?

When I did a google search for Love Call, I came accross a blog called heightfiveseven. I've thought that if Kate Upton liked free jazz... well here is a blog of a beautiful woman sharing her record collection (Lots of Jazz, but mostly hiphop). Although maybe this is actually Banksy pulling a Mr. Brainwash type maneuver ..

Stanley Clarke - If This Bass Could Only Talk

I got this record at Maxwell Street Days in Cedarburg WI. Stanley Clarke, late 80's. Unique record, starts with a bass tap dance duet with Gregory Hines. Stanley Clarke sounding like Stanley Jordan (Bass line plus chords) whilst Hines provides a great rhythmic accompaniment. I used to think the "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was corny, but now I think differently. Very similar in style to Clarke's soundtrack to Boyz n tha Hood. "Pork Pie" is Clarke's tribute to Jaco. Great soprano sax playing from Wayne Shorter. "I want To Play for Ya" is straight up Zapp and Roger.

I'm glad I'm doing this. I can't remember the last time I pulled this record out to listen to. It's pretty cool! I just bought it because I liked Return to Forever and I knew of Stanley Clarke. Good liner notes. I'm gonna go read 'em.

Ron Carter Hank Jones Sadao Watanabe Tony Williams - Carnaval

This is a record that consists of the Great Jazz Trio (Ron Tony Hank) + Sadao Watanabe (this album art picture cuts off his name. Rest assured, it fits on the 12" record sleeve). Some great 80's live concert bebop. "Manha de Carnval" is the song that I've known as Samba de Orfeo. I love how the Japanese audience lets out a huge cheer when the band breaks into "I'm Old Fashioned."

I file this under Ron Carter, but it is really Great Jazz Trio (Quartet). Nothing stands out on this record, but there is great playing throughout. I think it's the only recording of Sadao Watanabe that I have.

We'll keep the bass theme going. Up next is a Stanley Clarke record... It should be interesting.

Ron Carter - Etudes

I got this record for $2.99. Sometimes a record is so nicely priced, you just can't pass it up. It features Ron and Tony plus Art Farmer and Saxophonist Bill Evans. Etude is an interesting musical term. Usually they are musical pieces used more as an exercise to achieve a technique rather than a beautiful piece of music. See wikipedia . How is this album a reference to etudes? Are they still working on the Ornette Coleman model of improvising without a pianist? I'm not sure.

Ron Carter is certainly a master of the bass, but sometimes I get a little nauseated with all of the glissandi in his solos, especially on certain tracks on this record. Listening to so many slides gives a sense of seasickness, like I'm not on stable ground.

Excellent musicianship on this record. I admit to not knowing much about saxophonist Bill Evans, other than he played with Miles in the 80's. He plays nicely on this record, and I like his soprano playing best.

The record sleeve is very cool for Elektra Musician. It seems like they had a few interesting recordings in the early 80's, some including Charles Lloyd Quartet - Montreux 82, Chico Freeman Tradition in Transition, and The Young Lions. The Young Lions in the 80's - There is a lot of discussion about the neo-traditionalists such as Wynton Marsalis and co., but this album includes many names that I feel honor tradition while still reaching for the unknown (which is the essence of Jazz, I think):

• John Blake
• Hamiett Bluiett
• Ronnie Burrage
• Anthony Davis
• Paquito d'Rivera
• Kevin Eubanks
• Chico Freeman
• Craig Harris
• Jay Hoggard
• Fred Hopkins
• Bobby McFerrin
• Wynton Marsalis
• James Newton
• Daniel Ponche
• Avery Sharpe
• Abdul Wadud

Some of these names are unfamiliar to me, but others like Hamiett Bluiett, Anthony Davis, Craig Harris, Fred Hopkins, James Newton, and Abdul Wadud are very familiar names from the AACM, BAG, performances with David Murray, Arthur Blythe... Not people I tend to think of when I hear Young Lions. This has kind of made me rethink jazz history that I've read about the Young Lions. As always with history, it's best to immerse yourself in the artifacts of the time and come up with your own conclusions. I don't want to think of Donald Harrison as a saxophonist only interested in honoring the past when I hear him performing with Don Pullen. I should simply listen to every musician for what they are doing in that moment.

I have a very cheesy Jay Hoggard record (well, the cover is cheesy. Some of the performance is cheesy too, but I will write about it when I get to the H's)

Charlie Christian - "Hey Charlie, let's play the blues"

(I'm not sure if that's the actual title of this LP)

This record has some bootleg recordings of Charlie Christian jamming out with the Benny Goodman band. This is really a jam band recording. Charlie is riffing and the group segues into "a smoooth one." Audio fidelity is not the best on this record, but it is a great document of a legendary jazz guitarist who died way too young. This is pre-bop loose jamming. It's all with the Benny Goodman sextet. I like the smaller ensemble as opposed to his big band. This is a good record and it is important for everyone to hear it to better understand the continuity of the evolution of jazz styles.

Gary Burton - Passengers

Pat Metheny alert! This is one of the first albums to feature Pat Metheny. The group even plays his song "Midwestern Nights Dream," Although on this album it is called B and G. Eberhard Weber is also prominently featured. A very melodic bass player. I believe he plays an upright plugged in with effects pedals. He gets some weird "phaser" like sounds especially on the opener "Sea Journey."

I've always thought that "Claude and Betty" is PRIME sampling material. If I was a hip hop producer, that opening would be the first thing I would sample.

Claude and Betty

Gary Burton - New Quartet

More Gary Burton. This one has Abe Laboriel Sr. on Bass. His son plays drums for Paul McCartney. Sr. is a very chopsy bassist. Also, Mick Goodrick with some excellent wah wah pedaling throughout. Not enough wah wah in jazz.

Some pretty minimalist album art, there are a few ECM albums with this type of art. I like it.

Gary Burton & Keith Jarrett

This is a pretty classic Gary Burton album; very 60's jazz rocky vibes stuff going on here. Great compositions written mostly by Keith Jarrett (all except Como en Vietnam by Steve Swallow, who plays electric bass on this album?) 

Holy cow, Grow Your Own. Right before the ensemble comes in to play the head of the song for a final time, Gary and Keith lock into the tightest vibes and piano groove ever. I don't think anything Gary's done with Chick Corea locks into that insane tightness at the end of "Grow Your Own." Remember when those jazz robot videos were so popular on youtube.com? I remember there was one where they joke about Keith Jarrett writing a song about growing pot, which I suppose there aren't too many other songs about that topic.

Sam Brown is a tremendously underrated jazz figure in the late 1960's to 1970's. He was one of my favorite guitarists; he really can meet the middle ground where he isn't overtly rock in a jazz setting, and vice versa. Tragically, I believe he committed suicide around 1974. I wish there was more writings about him. I love his playing on this, and he was pretty much a member of Keith Jarrett's american quartet in my mind (as well as Guilhermo Franco). I love his playing on Paul Motians records such as Conception Vessel and Tribute (Tribute is one of my favorite records, and I look forward to listening to it and writing about it.)

This record also displays Keith Jarrett on soprano sax. He has a unique sound on the soprano. I can only describe it as "gnarly tone." Earthy isn't quite the right adjective, but I believe gnarly hits it right on the head.

I think I have two more Gary Burton albums after this one (I probably will be adding more in the future). Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett are the two artists of which I have the most records. It is fitting that that is the title of this album...

Gary Burton - Alone at Last

This is a Gary Burton vibraphone master album. I think the album cover reminds me of the Burger King from commercials from 2004:

This album also has Gary Burton on Organ, Piano, and Fender Rhodes on a couple tracks.

I need to mention at this point that I was able to see Han Bennink perform in Milwaukee with the Eric Boeren quartet. Mr. Bennink played a snare drum and a hi hat, but he captivated the entire room (not to take away from Michael Moore on alto sax, Eric Boeren on cornet, or Wilbert De Joode on bass. Talk about jazz as catharsis. I'm so glad I was able to see a living legend. After the concert he sat down right next to me. I was kinda shocked and said, "Thank you for coming to Milwaukee."

Gary Burton Quartet - In Concert

I have entered the Gary Burton section of my library. Being a vibraphonist, I feel that I need to listen and collect recordings from as many vibraphonists as I can (I am shocked to admit that I only have one MJQ album with Milt Jackson on vibes. I need to get more Milt Jackson records). I was a pretty big fusion fan at one point in my life, and I had read about Burton's early fusion groups with Larry Coryell on guitar. There is some good playing all around on this record, but it is not my favorite Burton recording.
I love how the cover is such a 1968 fashion statement. Steve Swallow seems like such an interesting guy... I really like his electric bass playing that he switched to doing in the mid 1970s. Swallow with his short hair seems like he is being counter-counter culture - you short-haired freak! Gary Burton, meanwhile, kinda seems like Robin Hood.

I got some cooking to tend to, and some good vibes to soak up!

Jackson Browne - For Everyman

This album has "Take it Easy," which is arguably Jackson Browne's biggest hit. It's the first track on side one, and it segues nicely into the next song "Our Lady of the Well."

The main reason I bought this album is because it has "These Days" on it. For me the song "These Days" came into my life when watching The Royal Tenenbaums:

The version from Tenenbaums is actually sung by Nico, with Jackson Browne on electric guitar fingerpicking accompaniment. Jackson wrote this song when he was 16 years old. This puts it in company of "Lush Life" as a song written by a teenager, but with incredibly profound lyrics well beyond the age of the songwriter. Here are the lyrics, which I seem to relate to on a daily basis:

These Days

Well I've been out walking 

I don't do that much talking these days 

These days

These days I seem to think a lot 

About the things that I forgot to do 

And all the times I had the chance to 

And I had a lover 

It's so hard to risk another these days 

These days 

Now if I seem to be afraid 

To live the life I have made in song 

Well it's just that I've been losing so long 

I'll keep on moving 

Things are bound to be improving these days 

These days 

These days I sit on corner stones 

And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend 

Don't confront me with my failures 

I have not forgotten them

The arrangement on For Everyman was inspired by Gregg Allman. It is much slower and laid back with a country rockish tinge to it. I don't love it as much as the Nico version, but a good song is a good song.

Anthony Braxton - In The Tradition

I got this so that I could own an Anthony Braxton record. I don't know if this is the best place to start with Anthony Braxton, but I had to start somewhere. I thought a traditional quartet would be a good place to start. It is very traditional sounding. Tootie Heath on drums. NHOP on bass. Tete Montoliu on piano. I had never heard of Tete before I got this, but he is an excellent pianist. This record is on the Steeple Chase/ Inner City record label, which is a label to look for if you are trying to find great jazz recordings from the 70s and 80s (ala Black Saint/ Soul Note)

I think I prefer Braxton's playing on two ECM CD's - Conference of the Birds and Paris Concert. But this record is still good. I also bought it because he plays contrabass clarinet. A duet with NHOP on Goodbye Porkpie Hat (I thought they should have incorporated that song into the ending of Breaking Bad...)

This recording was supposed to be a Dexter Gordon date! Some interesting trivia for you...

Tootie Heath must have 8 arms, because he is keeping time while throwing in interjections through out the drum kit on all the songs he's on.

When I searched google images for Braxton In the Tradition, for some reason, the J Lo green dress picture came up:

Arthur Blythe - Illusions

I like this record a lot, but I don't find it quite as classic as Lennox Avenue Breakdown from the previous post. The concept from this album is to feature Blythe's two different groups: His Avant Garde ensemble with cello tuba guitar drums, and his "In the Tradition" quartet with piano bass and drums. Both groups are phenomenal, but I wish this was two separate albums featuring each group. The concept was to intersperse songs from each group to create an illusion that they are one in the same. I don't like the illusion. I get really into one track, and the next one is a different group. Then I get into it, and the next is different...

I also generally prefer jazz albums that have a consistent lineup throughout the whole album. It seems like looking at some of the credits on jazz albums in the late 70s and early 80s is like the ending credits of a movie.

Arthur is the man. He and David Murray were two of the top saxophonists in the early 1980s (both played in Jack Dejohnette's Limited Edition). Please see the previous post for the link to help Arthur's battle with Parkinson's Disease.